The third annual McGladrey Team Championship will be staged at Pinehurst Resort Monday through Wednesday, and a team headed by Pinehurst No. 6 assistant professional Chad Gilligan is among the contestants.

Forty-one teams consisting of 164 players from across the nation are vying for the title, and also on hand for the pre-tournament festivities are "Team McGladrey," VIPs Natalie Gulbis of the LPGA Tour and Zach Johnson and Chris DiMarco of the PGA Tour.

The professional stars will be the guest performers at Monday's 10 a.m. VIP golf clinic at the resort's practice range.

The field is competing for a $200,000 purse, with amateurs receiving gift certificates.

Bob Denney, the Senior Association Writer for The PGA of America, who is handling publicity for the event, wrote the following article:

Of the 82 previous foursomes to have competed in The McGladrey Team Championship the past two years, none has carried the tag of "hometown favorite."

The drought ended Aug. 4 when PGA professional Chad Gilligan of Aberdeen and three amateur partners secured a one-stroke victory in the Section Championship, boosting Pinehurst No. 6 to a perch among 41 Section champions for the third McGladrey Team Championship finals.

The Pinehurst No. 6 team becomes the first North Carolina foursome to represent the Carolinas PGA Section in the championship. The past two years South Carolina-based teams made the trip to Pinehurst.

To add a bit more sugar to the win by Pinehurst No. 6, it came while competing at Osprey Point in Kiawah Island, S.C.

"Winning the section championship created a definite spark around here," said Gilligan, who has been with Pinehurst Resort for four years and is an assistant professional at the No. 6 Course. "It's one thing to get to see an event like the McGladrey planned and executed at the resort where you work, but to get the chance to play in it is tremendous.

"We had a lot of great teamwork, and our Navy veteran came through for us in a big way."

The team's Navy veteran is 48-year-old Darren Rodgers of Pinehurst, who retired after 20-plus years in the Submarine Force and is currently self-employed as a consultant for the U.S. Navy.

The other amateurs are David Bowles, 54, of Charlotte, and Patrick Martin, 59, of Locust, all members of Pinehurst Country Club since 1988 and teammates in 1990, when Pinehurst captured the ClubCorp Championship.

Bowles is the owner of Environmental Services of Charlotte with 30-plus years in the heating and air conditioning industry.

Martin retired in 2001 after 28 years as director of Youth and Family Services in Charlotte.

Gilligan said he saw the best of teamwork in the Section Championship at Osprey Pont. Pinehurst No. 6 scored a 121-122 victory over Mount Airy Country Club to advance to the finals.

"Our key hole happened to be our opening hole -- which was the par-5 eighth in a shotgun start," Gilligan said. "We had two players out of bounds and two in the fairway -- Patrick and me. I made birdie and Patrick got a par for a net birdie. If we hadn't gotten through that hole, it would have been very tough.

"The other big hole for us was the 18th, or our 11th of the day. Darren chipped in from about 40 yards out for eagle.

"Now we're excited about having the opportunity to be able to play in this national championship. Not only is it the first for the team, but also for myself. We're looking forward to a great week."

Denney is as enthusiastic about the events as are the contestants.

"I would add that this National Championship continues to be an inspiration to amateurs everywhere during challenging economic times," he said. "There are brothers, fathers and sons, and individuals of a long list of occupations who make up field.

"A dentist from Albia, Iowa, Dr. Joe Bates has volunteered the past several years in China in an international program to give free dental care to that country's underprivileged.Mr. Bates also carries a 2 handicap in golf and will be competing for the Iowa PGA Section team.

"With the right team, 'Anything is possible' is the McGladrey slogan, and it's a part of the fabric of the event.How many amateurs can tell their grandchildren in years to come that they played in a national championship?

"This championship continues to be an inspiration to amateurs everywhere during challenging economic times."

The McGladrey Team Championship is the result of a partnership between The PGA of America and RSM McGladrey, the organization's official accounting and business consulting firm.